Indian players made a strong impression in Round 5 of Norway Chess 2025, with Koneru Humpy taking sole lead in the women’s section, Arjun Erigaisi defeating Hikaru Nakamura in armageddon, and Vaishali Rameshbabu scoring the only classical win of the day across both events.
In the open section, Magnus Carlsen retained the overall lead by winning the armageddon game against Fabiano Caruana, while Wei Yi outplayed Gukesh D. in their rapid decider. All three classical games ended in draws.
Erigaisi Punishes Nakamura’s Mistake
Arjun Erigaisi secured a valuable mini-match victory over Hikaru Nakamura, drawing the classical game and winning with White in armageddon. Nakamura had the advantage in both games, but failed to convert. In the second game, he blundered decisively with 41…Rf6, played almost instantly, allowing Erigaisi to seize control and deliver the upset.
The result leaves Nakamura further adrift from tournament leader Magnus Carlsen, while Arjun gains ground in the standings.
Humpy Takes Sole Lead in Women’s Tournament
In the women’s event, Koneru Humpy moved into clear first place after defeating Lei Tingjie in armageddon. Their classical game ended in a balanced draw, but Lei faltered in the fast-paced tiebreaker, allowing Humpy to score the extra half-point.
Her rise to the top was helped by Anna Muzychuk’s armageddon loss to Ju Wenjun, leaving Humpy as the only player to lead the field after five rounds.
GM Vaishali Rameshbabu recorded the only classical victory of the day, defeating IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh in a sharp tactical battle. After introducing a home-prepared novelty with 15…f5, Vaishali gradually took over the game and finished with a decisive blow, 35…Ne3+, exploiting a loose knight and an overloaded queen.
The win lifts Vaishali into mid-table after a slow start to the tournament.
Gukesh Drops Armageddon to Wei Yi
World Champion Gukesh D. failed to capitalize on chances in his classical game against Wei Yi, which ended in a draw after a dynamic struggle. In the armageddon, however, Wei proved superior, outplaying Gukesh with precise handling of an opposite-colored bishop endgame.
The loss drops Gukesh into joint last place alongside Wei, both of whom are still without a classical win in the event.
Magnus Carlsen continued his dominance by defeating Fabiano Caruana in the armageddon game after their classical encounter ended in a hard-fought draw. Caruana missed a key opportunity in the endgame, allowing Carlsen to level the match.
In the tiebreak, Caruana sacrificed multiple pawns in a risky approach that backfired, as Carlsen maintained control and won convincingly with Black.
Round 5 – Summary of Indian Results:
Arjun Erigaisi 1.5 – 1 Hikaru Nakamura
Koneru Humpy 1.5 – 1 Lei Tingjie
Vaishali Rameshbabu 3 – 0 Sara Khademalsharieh
Gukesh D. 1 – 1.5 Wei Yi
Standings After Round 5:
Open Section (Top 4):
Magnus Carlsen – 9.5 pts
Fabiano Caruana – 8 pts
Hikaru Nakamura – 6.5 pts
Arjun Erigaisi – 6 pts
Women’s Section (Top 4):
Koneru Humpy – 8.5 pts
Anna Muzychuk – 8 pts
Ju Wenjun – 7 pts
Vaishali Rameshbabu – 6.5 pts